Commencement 2021/2020: The Photo Gallery

  • Daniel A. Smith CE'20 sent in this photo from Georgia

  • Netanel Saso A'21, in Israel, via Zoom

  • Doo Sung M.Arch'21 celebrating in South Korea

  • Yuqiao Wang MChE'21, via Zoom

  • Di Mei EE'21 shared a photo he created while graduating remotely from Shenzhen, China

  • At the Bowery Hotel (**)

  • Emily Manwaring A'21 with her mom, Amy (**)

  • Graduates line up inside the Great Hall (**)

  • Laura Sparks with Sydney Vernon A'21 (**)

  • Mike Essl A'96, dean of the School of Art (**)

  • Juan José Garcia A'20 and Jessica Martinez A'20 (**)

  • Reception at the Bowery Hotel (**)

  • School of Art Professor Coco Fusco at The Bowery Hotel reception. Amy Westphal A'00 and Maya Krtic AR'17, both of the Office of Admissions in the background (**)

  • Tae Hyun Koh ME'21 (**)

  • The Bowery Hotel reception (**)

  • Juan Carlos Javier AR'21 and Maksymilian Mamak AR'21 (**)

  • Faculty and students of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture **

  • EE'21 Graduates 

    Top, from left: Rebecca Gartenberg, Eric Xue, Junpeng Lu, Ravindra Bisram,  Kevin Jiang, Crystal Wang, Gian Angelo Tria

    Bottom from left: Shyam Paidipati, Dave DoHyung Kwo, Minh-Thai Nguyen, Kevin Kerilu

    (**)

  • Aaron Fink CE'20 (center) (**)

  • Michael Lange ChE'20 (*)

  • Malcom King EE'97, chair of the Board of Trustees (*)

  • Johnathan Allen Wilborn A'20 and family (*)

  • Wendy Wahlert A'20 and Antonia Gehnrich A'21 (*)

  • Daniel Polonsky A'21 (*)

  • School of Art Graduates

    Top row: Lucas Zeeberg, Collin DeLoach. Middle row: Diego Herrera, Lumia Nocito, William (Babe) Adams. Bottom row: Kiara L. Byrd and Akhila Williams (*)

  • Hannah Taurins A'21 (*)

  • Zalmai Levrat AR’21 (**)

  • Dean Nader Tehrani and Zi Han Matthew Chan AR'21 (*)

  • Stefan Bottomley A'21 and Alisa Petrosova A'21 get some help with their graduation robes

  • Laura Sparks, president, at the podium, with Haley Eber, Malcom King, and Nader Tehrani (*)

  • Jun Hee Ko A'21 with a picture of her late brother, Gun; her senior online exhibition was about Gun and his battle with cancer (*)

  • Bibi Razak CE'21 (*)

  • Tristan Thorn Hughes-Freeland A'21 (*)

  • Vyczie Dorado-Lopez A'21 (*)

  • Dayi Novas A'20 (*)

  • Stella Blue Porzungolo AR'21

  • Chong Gu AR'20 (center) and other members of the class (*)

  • Mahmoud Khair-Eldin CE'21, Hannah Quirk ME'21, and Amal Bukhari ME'21 (*)

  • Albert Nerken School of Engineering graduates (*)

  • Brian DeHority EE'21 holding Minh-Thai Nguyen EE'21 (*)

  • Although Olivia Heuiyoung Park ME'20 MME'20 was not able to attend in person, her engineering friends, including Xiaoyu (Kevin) Mao ME’20 holding her picture and Nicholas Triano ME’20 next to the picture, made sure she didn't miss the festivities. Haoran (Harry) Wei ME’21 is taking the picture within the picture (*)

The 161st Commencement ceremony took place on May 26, 2021, celebrating the classes of both 2021 and 2020, who missed a commencement due to the pandemic.

The day began at 8am with COVID-19 rapid tests to ensure all participants were negative for the virus. Students went through the Great Hall in small groups to cross the stage and be honored. Two guests per student were allowed inside. After each cohort the hall was cleared and cleaned. After their ceremony each group moved to the Bowery Hotel for a reception that likewise had to be cleared and cleaned between groups. The result was a ceremony that took place over eight hours and was unlike any other. 

Photos by Joao Enxuto/The Cooper Union (*) and Marget Long/The Cooper Union (**) where indicated.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.